Check out our annual Play Calendar for chances to get involved.
You can subscribe to this page and receive updates on the upcoming play events.
The Palmy Play Festival is a citywide celebration of play, featuring interactive activities, workshops, and free community fun for all ages.
The festival is our way of celebrating National Play Week. Featuring diverse games from around the world, it’s a great opportunity to try something new and rediscover the joy of play.
We’re proud to partner with our community partners, the Manawatū Multicultural Council, Global Parents Support, and Sport Manawatū, on this event.
Palmy Walls Alive is where creativity meets technology, transforming young imaginations into vibrant animated murals which are then projected onto giant outdoor walls across our city.
The magic begins with children creating original artworks, which are then brought to life through animation by UCOL WorkHub students.
In 2025, the theme is Wildlife Illuminated, celebrating Conservation Week (1–7 September). We’re stoked to be working with local artist Belle Chadwick, who partnered with the Manawatū Multicultural Council to select 20 students from across their Welcoming Schools programme. These students spent 8 weeks on a special art programme, creating pieces inspired by the natural world.
Palmy Pop-up Play brings free outdoor fun to parks and reserves across the city during school holidays.
These sessions are delivered in partnership with Sport Manawatū and community groups, including Manawatū Multicultural Council, Best Care Whakapai Hauora, Savage Crescent Neighbours, and Y Central.
If your community group or neighbourhood would like to host a Pop-up play session, please get in touch by emailing communitydevelopment@pncc.govt.nz.
It is all about making play easy and accessible for everyone - at your neighbourhood park or in the heart of the city. Since it started, the Palmy Pop-Up Play series has been all about connecting with our community, getting active outdoors, and the joy of spontaneous, unstructured play.
Think giant games, oversized building blocks, nature explorers, and heaps of exciting activities that’ll make you feel like a kid again. Whether you’re playing with friends, family, or flying solo, every session is packed with surprises and fun for everyone.